Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have developed an enhanced epoxy coating designed to protect steel structures operating in high-salinity and marine environments. The work has been published in Advanced Engineering Materials and was carried out by Prof. Chandan Das of the Department of Chemical Engineering, along with research scholar Dr Anil Kumar.
Steel used in offshore platforms, bridges, port facilities and marine pipelines is highly vulnerable to corrosion, which weakens structures and shortens operational life. Corrosion has also been linked to major industrial disasters, including the 1984 Bhopal gas leak and the 1992 Guadalajara pipeline explosion.
Conventional barrier coatings offer partial protection but tend to develop microscopic defects over time, allowing moisture and salts to enter and damage the metal underneath. To improve these limitations, researchers worldwide have explored adding nanomaterials to epoxy coatings.
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The IIT Guwahati team has combined reduced graphene oxide, zinc oxide nanorods and polyaniline into a single nanocomposite — a combination not previously used together for marine corrosion protection. Zinc oxide nanorods were attached to reduced graphene oxide, and the structure was wrapped with polyaniline before being blended into an epoxy coating.
According to the institute, the resulting coating produced a denser barrier, adhered more strongly to steel surfaces and slowed the movement of corrosive elements more effectively than standard epoxy. The researchers say the material shows promise for use in offshore structures, shipbuilding, coastal pipelines and other facilities exposed to seawater.
Prof. Chandan Das said the coating offers a “promising strategy” for long-term corrosion resistance in marine conditions and added that further assessment of durability and real-world performance is planned.
IIT Guwahati noted that the findings remain at the laboratory stage and will require additional validation before any commercial application is considered.
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